The Commander's Girls
by Losa136
Summary: Ava Shepard has a sceret that she has been keeping from her lover GC Ashley Williams. After Ava dies, can Ashley comply to Ava's wishes... ME/ME2/ME3 FemShepley
1. Chapter 1

The Commander's Girls

Ashley Williams and various other crew members mentioned belong to Bioware. But Ava and Aubrey Shepard belong to me. R&R please. This story has not beta so if you find anything misspelled, missing, etc. Please let me know so I can fix it.

Many thanks to you all,

**Losa136**

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><p>Commander Ava Ami Shepard was lying in her bed exhausted from the "battle" she just fought, and she wasn't alone; Gunnery Chief Ashley M. Williams was there beside her commander with equal exhaustion with her head on the older woman's shoulder, while Ava ran her fingers through the long, thick brown tendrils that would normally be in its standard bun on top of the chief's head. It had been a week since they had defeated Saren and the Reaper called Sovereign and thus taking back the Citadel from them, and humanity had finally been accepted by the Council races. Ava sat silently thinking about how far she and Ashley had come, from Eden Prime to the exact moment they were currently at right now. The memories were just following through her mind as her hand continued its motions in the chief's hair.<p>

All the while as Ava continued, Ash started to purr slightly and mumbled into Ava's neck sleepily, "Mmhmm… Ava that feels good." Ashley continued to purr until she was out like a light.

Ava kissed her chief on the forehead, then slowly and carefully untangled herself from Ashley's embrace and went over to her computer. The Normandy had been sent out to look for signs of any Geth hold-outs. So far they hadn't found any and because of that, Ava and Ash had been able to spend more time together. Ava smiled as the images of the past few days came to her mind. Some were of Ash coming to visit her in the Med-Bay after Ava had decided that her former CO David Anderson was to become the first human Councilor. Ash had gotten some serious bruises and a fractured wrist from when Ava had pushed her out of the way, when a piece of Sovereign came crashing into the chamber they were in. It had left Ava with several bruises, cuts, sprains, along with a few broken bones.

Ava was amazed that she was able to even stay standing when she was led to Councilors she just saved. Others were of the activities that they have been taking part of since Ava was allowed to go back into her cabin. But right now, no matter how many times she tried, she just couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen to her and she wasn't going to see Ash ever again. So she turned to the screen and tapped a few keys to start a message.

She looked at straight at the camera embedded at the top of her screen and began, "Hey Ash, its Ava. I know that if you're watching this, it's because I'm on my way to meeting you old man and granddad. I know that's not funny but it does mean I wasn't able to stop this message within the next few days. Ash, I know it hurts right now and you probably don't want to but, _please_ listen to what I have to say. There are some things that I needed to tell you. I was going to tell you soon but just like you, I'm not a word person and there are some questions that I have no answer to or it's just too complicated to explain. I understand if you hate me after this but please at least don't let another soul know what I'm about to tell you…" Ava paused for a moment and opened a drawer in her deck and pulled out a picture of a seventeen year old, holding a little baby girl in her arms, and was smiling at the camera with the look of exhaustion evident in her features. She held the picture up to the screen as the tears started to fall from her eyes.

She spoke again shakily, "Ash this is a picture of me with my baby girl Aubrey Alison Shepard, she's going to be thirteen in four months. I've told her all about you and she really wants to meet you someday, I wanted you to meet her when we got some shore leave to spend a few weeks with her together. But if I'm gone then I need you to protect her, protect her from her father. I can't go into the story of why, there isn't enough time. But her "Half-sister" I guess you can call her, can. She was nineteen at the time I met her father. I wish I could tell you more but I don't want to put my little star in more danger. I left you all that you need in order to find Aubrey just go to the Citadel and ask Anderson for it. I love you Ashley and I know I'm dumping a lot on you, but you're the first person I've ever been able to trust with this. Tell her that if she ever needs me when you can't be there, to look up to the stars because I'll be watching over her. As for you Ash, there is a locket that is for you. Inside there is a picture of me and Aubrey and on the back you will find a button. If you ever get the feeling that someone is following you at all, press that button and her sister will find you to move her someplace safe. If you made it this far into this message then I thank you. I love you with all my heart Ash. I'll tell your dad you said hi."

Ava ended the message; she turned around and went about grabbing her uniform and putting it on because now she needed to make a very important call. She walked up the stairs to the Comms. Room. "Joker, I need a secure call to Miranda Lawson."

"Aye, Aye Commander." He replied over the intercom.

She waited a few moments hoping that the woman she was trying to contact wasn't very busy or still pissed at her. Then the screen flickered and showed a beautiful thirty-two year old woman with long silky black hair that hung on her shoulders and sparkling cobalt blue eyes. "This is Miranda Lawson speaking." She said in a clipped business tone with an Australian accent.

Ava stood at parade rest and looked at her with a smile, "Miri, its Av."

The older woman frowned deeply, "Ava! Did you call to yell at me again about Cerberus?"

Ava sighed, Miranda was always easy to anger but, Ava just used the tone of voice she uses to when they were around each other constantly. "No Miri, I didn't and I'm sorry that I did, Akuze did a lot of damage to me and after finding Toombs and Admiral Kohaku it was too much. When you called and told me, that you had finished a big project for them, everything I saw that came from them so far had been very far from good but, it wasn't fair of me to dismiss you when you told me so quickly."

Miranda narrowed her eyes at Ava to see if she was telling the truth and she could see that Ava was, "I accept your apology, but why did you call if not for that?"

"Miri, for the past week since being sent out here I've been getting really bad feelings, that something is going to happen in the next couple days. I can't shake it, so just in case I die as soon as you get word I need you to get Aubrey to the Citadel and give Anderson the information that Ashley needs to meet her."

"Why? Haven't I been keeping an eye on her well enough?"

"You've done a perfect job on watching over her and Orianna. I have told Aubrey all about Ash and she really wants to meet her. As far as I'm aware Aubrey got a lot of stubbornness on both sides and don't tell me you're not stubborn because you know that's a lie. So you know once Aubrey got it in her head that she wanted to meet Ashley, she won't stop until she does. Besides I don't want you to spread yourself too thin keeping an eye on both Ori and Brey. I love Ash, Miri, the last time I felt this way was when we were together, and we both know that _we_, can never be again. Hell, its awkward as it is, I mean seriously my best friend, girlfriend, my whole world, gets torn from me in a matter of months. To where my girlfriend is now my little girl's sister and that sister is two years older than her mother. All because of Henry Lawson and his pettiness. In his eyes I was just trash that was special enough to get into his daughter's school. Then he decided that the poor, unfortunate seventeen year old girl needed to be taught a lesson for taking you and little Orianna away from his abusiveness. Yeah, I know you've done a perfect job of keeping Orianna and Aubrey safe, but now I want Ashley and Aubrey to meet." Ava took in a deep breath and let it out and her shoulders sagged with her exhaustion.

"Okay Ava, is there anything specific you need me to do?"

"Ash is going to have questions about Henry and you. I want you to tell her everything and give her my locket that has the special button on the back that's meant to alert you, as well as the information about Brey."

"Alright Ava, I will have everything ready for that day." Then Miranda looked down at what most has been a clock and when she looked back up she looked sad, "I'm sorry but I need to go to a meeting."

"That's alright Miri, I love you. Goodbye."

"I love you too, Ava." Miranda replied and the screen disappeared, Shepard turned to go back to her bed where her beautiful Chief was asleep waiting for her, when said woman was right behind her. Ash was furious with Ava and the commander could see it.

"Ashley! How long have you standing there?" Ava asked worried that Ash had heard the entire conversation.

"I walked in when you're saying goodbye. Now who was that woman?" Ashley demanded.

Ava was quiet unsure on how to answer her girlfriend, "Who was she?" Ashley repeated.

Ava sighed and looked up prepared for the shit storm that was headed her way, "That was Miranda Lawson."

"What is she to you?" Ash continued her line of questioning.

"Miranda Lawson is my ex-girlfriend."

"If she is your ex then why were you talking to her?"

"Follow me." Ava knew that the room that they were in was not the best place to have this argument, so Shepard ordered Ash and walked through the door, down the stairs, and into her room with Ashley hot on her heels. She pointed to the bed and ordered Williams to sit there which Ashley complied. Ash watched Ava pace back and forth refusing to look at her girlfriend until she was good and ready.

After ten minutes of pacing she stopped, turned to Ashley with a defeated look, and spoke, "Okay when I was about sixteen, I met Miranda at a school gathering, she was a junior at the time; I was an orphan with privileges because I'm a really powerful biotic. But, I was dirt poor and I was part of that gang I told you about. One day when I was somewhere around fifteen, I was out pick pocketing when I got caught picking a very important person's pocket. I tried to use my biotics to get away but I hadn't eaten anything for three days prior so I was really weak. She was nice to me for no reason, she scolded me and then took me to the nearby diner and bought me some thing to eat. She didn't call the cops or do anything of that sort instead she asked me questions about myself. When I was done eating she asked what I wanted to do after I turned eighteen. I told her I was going to join the Alliance Navy. Then she went about asking me if I knew how to read and write and I told her that I knew how to do a little of both. She said that was going to change and said that I was going to a really good school and she was going to get me in. Turned out she was the Director of this school and she actually had me stay with her so I would stay in school and get a little more education before I signed up. Anyway I met Miranda because she was giving a speech on something but I wasn't paying attention to what she was talking about I could only focus on Miranda herself. I was a few rows from the stage and our eyes seemed to have just met. We talked for a few hours that day and after a month we were best friends."

"After a few months after I turned seventeen we became lovers. We had been together for six or seven months when everything changed."

"What happened?" Ashley asked in a comforting tone with a bit of understanding mixed in.

"Her father was what happened, he saw to it that I could never be with her again."

"But you told her that you loved her." Ashley's lower lip started to tremble as she was trying to fight the tears.

Ava reached up and caressed her girlfriend's cheek with the back of her hand as she continued, "Because I still do love her but, not in the same way as before Ash. Miri was my whole world once upon a time, and after what happened we did try to make it work, God did we try. But after three years, we just decided we should stay best friends and I left to join the military." She sighed and with her other hand she reached for one of Ash's, which Ashley allowed and didn't pull it back. Ava continued onward.

"When I left her Ashley, I was so lost. In those three years with her, I would wake up in the morning and Miranda would be the first thing I saw everyday. I told her everything, because I believe, to not be open with your partner is really bad for your relationship. I know I keep a few things from you, not because I don't trust you enough, but to keep what we have together from ending. Miranda and I both knew we're delaying the inevitable, and I ended it because when I went to hold her like I use to, it just wasn't the same no matter how hard we'd tried. So for the longest time after I left, I honestly thought I would never find someone who could make me feel everything she did and more. That was until that day on Eden Prime when I met a marine fighting for her life with determination. Later I found out this marine has a great love of poetry, compassion for her family and friends, there are other great traits but I digress, now I have found myself falling madly in love and very hard for her. It's true that I still love Miranda, and I always will, she was my first after all but, you're everything she was to me and so, so much more." Ava looked at Ashley with sad eyes and caressed the chief's cheek some more. Ashley leaned into the touch and smiled with watery eyes at Ava, who returned the expression. Ava moved some of the dark brown hair behind Ash's ear and leaned in to kiss her lips. When the need for oxygen became too large to ignore they broke apart.

"So why did you call her?" Ashley questioned with a bit of anger left in her voice.

"I called her because she is the holder of my will and I needed to add to it so you and a few other people were in it. I would make you the holder but since we're both soldiers and could be gone at any minute of the day it would be better if it stayed with her. I also left you a message just in case something does happen to me and you need to contact her."

_Why did you need to change it?_ Ash wondered in her mind.

As if Ava was a mind reader she said, "I needed to change it because there are some things I want you to take care of but I can't tell you what they are because, they are between Miranda and myself. But one day you will, I promise."

"I got it ma'am." Ashley said as she began to take off her clothes for the second time that night. "Now let's go back to bed."

"You go ahead I need to take care of one last thing before I go asleep, okay?"

"Don't keep me waiting long Skipper."

"Never, my chief." Ava replied as she leaned down and kissed her again. Then she went over to her desk and pulled out two holos and a stick note and wrote, **People you need to meet. I love you always, Ava Ami Shepard.** Then she picked them up and told Williams that she would be right back. Ava made her way to the elevator and went down to the cargo bay. When she got there she went to Ashley's locker, opened it and opened a pouch on the Gunnery Chief's armor and put the holos and the note into it. She closed the locker and went back up the elevator; on the way she sent a message to Miranda telling her to split Ava's credits equally among her entire crew and that Ash can have the retirement home Ava won at Panicle Station. She walked into her room to find that Ash had fallen back asleep so she quietly made her way to her side of the bed and striped until she was as nude as Ash. She finally laid down, gathered Ash up into her arms, to which Ash snuggled into the crook of Ava's neck and Ava fell asleep with a smile on her face.


	2. Chapter 2

Again this story currently has no beta. So if there is any glaring mistakes please let me know.

**Losa136**

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

Up on the bridge XO Pressley walked to his seat that was behind the Normandy's Ace pilot, Jeff "Joker" Moreau. Pressley was complaining about the reason why they were at their current location when the ensign spoke. "Sir, I'm picking up something on our long-ranged scanners. Unidentified vessel, it looks like a cruiser."

"Weird, it doesn't match any known signatures." Joker replied as he glared at his screens.

"The Cruiser is changing course." She narrowed her gaze, "It's now on intercept trajectory."

"It can't be. The stealth systems are engaged. There's no way a Geth ship could…" Pressley began to say when Joker interrupted,

"It's not the Geth, brace for evasive maneuvers!" He yelled as his fingers began to fly over his controls. The ship jerked to the side when the mysterious ship fired a beam that hit the right wing. It fired again which caused an explosion that killed the ensign and Pressley. Shepard was suddenly awaken by the alarms and found that Ashley had already made her way to her locker. Ava jumped out of the bed and began to throw on her armor. Once that was done, she ran to the end of the hallway that had the sleeper pods swinging her helmet back and forth in her hand.

She opened the interface and sent out the distress signal, but the Normandy was losing power fast, so the beacon wouldn't launch. She cursed out loud and ripped open a panel, working for ten minutes before she could finally send out the signal. There were screams all around her; she finally pulled her helmet on when she heard those familiar boots running towards her. That's when Ashley appeared, "Shepard! Will the Alliance get here in time?" She sounded frantic and rightly so.

"The Alliance won't abandon us. We just need to hold on. Ashley, get everyone onto the escape shuttles." Ava grabbed a fire extinguisher and threw it to Ashley trying to get the fire to go down.

"Joker is still in the cockpit and he's refusing to leave, and neither will I."

"Ashley, I'll make sure Joker leaves but I need you to get everyone else into the shuttles."

"But…" Ash began when another explosion knocked her into Ava's arms.

"Ash, _please_." Ava pleaded, Ashley lifted her head and she could faintly see her lover's eyes beginning to mist up.

"Aye, Aye." Ashley ran back and started to guide whatever crew that was left to the shuttles.

Ava slammed her fist into the console then ran to the cockpit to get Joker. When she got to him; she first cussed him out, then she lifted his crippled ass out of the chair and helped him into the shuttle. Suddenly there was an explosion that blasted Ava away from the door. She grabbed onto the control panel and had just enough time to launch the shuttle before she was propelled into the bulkhead behind her. Ava was now floating among the burning wreckage of her ship when she heard a hissing noise. She realized that it was her oxygen line but she didn't have the strength to try and fix it, so she just stared out in front of her, waiting for her end to come. She did however send her two final messages to Ashley and Miranda.

They were short and simple, Ashley's read 'I love you, check your pocket.' and Miranda's read 'It's time. Protect them.' Ava sighed and closed her eyes for the last time as she became unconscious while being pulled into the nearby planet's gravity. Ashley watched from the window of her shuttle. She saw the last shuttle blast out of the burning ship and noticed something else floating in the opposite direction. It was being pulled in by the planet. She watched as the figure's arm glowed and she instantly knew it was Ava, when her omni-tool showed Ava's final message to her, it only confirmed what she already knew. She collapsed to the floor and began to cry, quietly at first but she was not able to keep it in as she began to sob.

Doctors Liara T'soni and Karen Chakwas were there with her. They looked at each other, then undid their harnesses and went to comfort their friend. Ash had bonded with Liara and Tali during their time together and Chakwas was like a mother to Ava, so by association played the part as the wise in-law. Once they were saved Ash closed herself off, only speaking to the Asari or the older woman.

Meanwhile in another part of the galaxy, Miranda had just walked back into her office when she saw a message waiting for her. She made her way over to the desk and opened it. "It's time. Protect them." appeared onto the screen. She was about to break down like Ashley had, but she was able to push it back long enough to send the message, "Project Lazarus is a go." She then gathered everything she needed and went to another room where a young girl was sleeping. She had dark brown hair that was just like her mother's that was in a braid. Miranda walked over to the sleeping girl and gently shook her awake. The girl groaned at her so she said, "Aubrey, you need to get up. I have something to tell you."

Aubrey shifted until she was staring up at her big sister with her steel-gray eyes, the only thing that ever could prove that she was a daughter of Henry Lawson. Something that both her mother and sister were thankful for. Aubrey yawned and asked, "What's the matter Mi-Mi?" Miranda had a few tears in her eyes and on her face, she couldn't tell her little sister that her mother was gone. The silence told Aubrey all she needed to know. Her sister rarely showed any emotions and because she, herself was very smart for an almost thirteen year old, she could tell something was wrong. She got out of her bed and ran to Miranda, the older woman held her arms open to take her sister into them. Aubrey wrapped her arms around her and began to cry, which caused the woman to finally break down as she hugged her little sister tighter.

After a half an hour later, Aubrey asked just to make sure, "Mommy is gone, isn't she Mi-Mi?" all she got was a nod. The girl signaled that she wanted to be let go, Miranda complied and released her. Once she was released, the girl walked over to her bed and pulled out a suitcase to begin gathering her things.

"What are you doing, Brey?" Miranda asked as she watched her put the rest of her shirts into the case.

Aubrey looked up from her task and replied, "I'm getting ready to meet Ashley, Mi-Mi. I had woken up when mommy called and you yelled at her. Then I eavesdropped until it ended, and mommy is right sis. Between you trying to keep me and Ori safe, and doing your job it's just too much. I also really want to meet her, and truth be told, she's going to need the both of us to help her through this."

Miranda just stared at her for a few minutes and tried to get her mouth to work again, "When did you become so smart, Brey?"

"Do you really have to ask, sis? Come on high IQ runs in our family, both you and mom are really smart even though she pretends to be of average intelligence." she answers smugly as she placed the last of her clothes into the case and went to put her small paint kit and jewelry box inside it as well. Aubrey looked up again to find her sister still there, "Hey Mi-Mi, don't you have to get ready as well, or am I flying solo on this?"

"Huh...? Oh yes I do. I'll have everything ready in a half hour, okay?" The girl nodded. Once she left, Brey sat down and played the last recorded conversation she had with her mother, it was from week ago just before Ava had left to go find geth.

"Hello my bright star."

"Hi mommy. Anything new?" her cheery voice asked.

"As a matter of fact, there is baby girl. How would you like to pass judgement on mommy's new girlfriend?"

"Sounds fun, who is she, what's she like?"

"Her name is Ashley Williams, a marine to the core, but is passionate about her family and friends."

"Can I see a holo of her?"

"Sure baby, just give me a sec... There her pic is going to you now." The image popped up and Brey smiled.

"She's pretty mommy, though if it weren't for the regs it would be better with her hair down." she commented, "Can I meet her some day?"

"You will Aubrey, I don't know when but you will." Aubrey squeed and the conversation continued on, ten minutes later it ended. Aubrey sighed as she placed the last thing into her suitcase which was a picture with her, Ava, Miranda, and Orianna in it. It was taken the day Ori was sent to live with her new parents. Aubrey was cradled in her mother's arm, just barely three months old, Ava had her free hand around Miranda's waist, and Orianna was standing in front of her sister hugging her pink jaguar close to her chest. Aubrey closed her suitcase and grabbed a backpack that was full of stuff to keep her from getting bored.

Miranda walked into her room and went over to her jewelry box. She opened it and pulled out a necklace with a locket that was identical to the one she wore but the insides were different, when her locket was opened it projected a picture of the three of them. It was taken when Aubrey was three and they were living in Ava's apartment. It shows Aubrey off to the side, upside down in Ava's biotic field being tickled, while Miranda herself was trying not to be caught by the actual hands. It was taken while she was in mid stride trying to get away. Which she failed at because it shows that Ava had apparently caught her by getting a hand on Miranda's stomach, the spot were she is the most ticklish.

On the back there was a inscription. 'To the one I couldn't keep. One day you'll find some one. whom you'll love as much as you did me. -A' She had that down by heart and so far she hadn't found someone else, but she believed in what Ava said. She shook her head and set down the locket that was in her hand after she made sure it worked the way it was meant to. She got out of her catsuit uniform and slipped on a tee shirt from when she and Ava had been dating. Miranda was amazed it still fit after thirteen years, it was her favorite. It was from a concert where a Linkin Park, Green Day, Everessence, and The Fray cover bands cover bands played together. God her father was furious with her and Ava when they got her home.

_Miranda and Ava walked into Miranda's home hand in hand at almost midnight and found Henry Lawson waiting for them in his office. "Miranda Alice Lawson get your ass in my office right now." Miranda looked pleadingly at Ava. Ava huffed and growled at his voice, because he was ruining all the work she had done that day to get Miranda to enjoy their date. She grabbed Miranda's hand and made her way to the office. When they entered the saw him at his desk. "Where have you been you stupid bitch?"_

_"Father, I told you I was going to a concert with Ava tonight and that I wasn't going to be home until later." _

_"You told me no such thing."_

_"Yes she did, you ass, I was standing right next to her. You were just more focused on whatever the hell you were doing to even hear her." Ava snarled at him._

_"Well you should've had her home by her curfew you whore."_

_"Oh you didn't just call me a whore." Miranda knew Ava had a temper that she made an effort to keep in check when she was with her, but this man was the only person who could piss her off while she was standing right next the older girl. "I'll have you know **Mr.** **Lawson **that I am very much a virgin even though my past could say otherwise. Men have tried but they now live six feet beneath the ground."_

_"Miranda, I don't know why you must insist on being with such filth. She has no class at all."_

_"I insist because she treats me like the woman she loves and not a slave. She sees the real me not just this." she gestures up and down her body, "And she treats me and others with respect. Very much unlike you." _

_He got up from his desk and went to go slap her. He didn't notice that Ava had pulled out a pair of her throwing knives from her pocket so when he raised his hand and brought it down, it was stopped half way through. Ava growled at him and with bioticly driven strength she dragged him to the near by wall and pinned him there with the knives. "That's enough of you Henry." she yelled. She turned around to his desk and pulled out a chair and brought it over to where Miranda's father was. She set it ten feet from him and took Miranda's hand and sat her in it. _

_Then she turned back to the man attached to the wall. "Henry, in the past several months I've been seeing your daughter, not once have you told her that you were proud of her. She has done everything you have ever asked of her for nineteen years of hell. She's at the top of her class, and already has several Math and Science degrees under her belt and she's barely an adult. And FYI Lawson, I happened to have made sure Miranda had everything she needed to get done later today finished yesterday before we went out, so she could be free until at least noon because I didn't know how long the concert was going to be. I wanted to make sure she got her few hours of sleep before she became your slave for the rest of the day."_

_She paused and looked at Miranda. She spoke in a loving tone, "Miri, baby, get your things and some stuff for Ori as well. I'm taking you away from here. This is the last straw." She nodded and went to her room. She began to stuff things that Ava had given her into her pack along with a credit chit that had an amount of 100,000 credits and some of her clothes. Then she went and packed Oriana's clothes. She took them back to Ava and went to get her four year old twin sister who was sleeping._

_Miranda bent down and whispered "Ori, me and Ava are taking you you away from father." The girl didn't wake and Miranda knelt down to wrap Ori's arms around her neck and lifted her out of her bed. Miranda adjusted her until she was the young woman's hip and she bent down to grab the stuffed pink jaguar that was hidden in the blankets. Ava had given it to her and she absolutely loved it. Ava saw Miranda carrying her sister back into the room. She turned back to Henry and snarled quietly at him._

_"If I hear anything about you making another, I will kill you. Goodbye Henry, it hasn't been a pleasure to know you. I hope you rot in hell." Then she grabbed the bags and walked out of the room but stopped for a moment and bioticly pulled her knives and caught them with ease._

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><p>AN: Sorry it took so long to post this chapter. I'm not that good with keyboards, and all the stuff that I have published are in notebooks. Again my work currently has no beta so please let me know about any mistakes.

Many thanks for reading,

**Losa136**


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